Devices like the Amazon Alexa and Google Home have become common in the modern home. Though they were once considered futuristic, and even alarming, without thinking twice homeowners now have daily interactions with smart technology gadgets that save unprecedented amounts of time and eliminate the need for an alarm clock, radio, kitchen timer, newspaper, or light switch. Now that these devices have become so easily accessible to even the most minimalist homeowners, the bar for what is considered luxury smart technology is set higher.
Celebrities and techies alike are investing in smart technology not only for convenience — many luxury listings boast having lights, heating, and cooling controlled at the touch of the button — but for security, as smart technology has made it possible for homeowners to unlock their doors through an app, view footage of their doorstep in real time and receive notifications about their smoke or carbon monoxide alarms remotely.
Many new luxury apartment towers are attracting tenants by highlighting the building’s built-in smart technology. In addition to amenities like keyless entry, hands-free control of lights, temperature, security systems and pet feeders, some luxury apartment owners will soon have their cars robotically parked. While this technology is still in development, researchers are hopeful that artificial intelligence will be able to precisely park cars much closer together and in a more uniform fashion than human drivers would, eliminating the need for large parking garages, according to The Independent. Drivers would simply wait a few minutes for a robot to retrieve their car, and then when they return home, a robot would park their car back in its place, approximately four inches from its neighbor.
This five-bed, five-bath luxury listing in Chicago is equipped with technology by Control4: Home Automation and Smart Home Systems. Control4 allows homeowners to have voice control throughout the entire home, smart lighting, and intelligent security among other amenities.
Photos courtesy of d’aprile properties.
Photo courtesy of Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
This five-bed, six-bath Los Angeles listing is also equipped with Control4 for both security and entertainment purposes — light, sound, locks and screens can be adjusted with a simple swipe.
While the average homeowner may not have a heated driveway or plant watering system that they control from their smartphone like Oprah Winfrey, the increasing accessibility of smart home technology makes the possibilities for a luxury home endless.
